Two Leicester injuries equal big chance for midfielder
Two new injuries for Leicester City players also equals a big chance for Foxes midfielder Boubakary Soumare in October.
Nobody wants to see players sustain issues and fitness problems. However, when certain personnel are sidelined, opportunities arise for other squad members. Bouba Soumare is in that unfortunately fortunate situation right now at LCFC.
The Frenchman endured a tough start at King Power Stadium, for more than one reason. Essentially he found the intense pace of the Premier League difficult to adapt to in 2021/22 after arriving from French club Lille.
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In addition to that factor, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers also has the bright idea of converting Soumare into a box-to-box footballer, which didn’t seem necessary or appropriate with a specialty in place, and other competent Foxes in that area. Though the talent and pedigree of the Paris Saint-Germain youth product is unquestionable, in my opinion.
Evidently in 2022/23, this term, the Noisy-le-Sec-born man has improved almost every aspect of his game. Notably, he is beginning to adapt. Rodgers was very complementary of the 23-year-old during his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Bournemouth in the EPL on Saturday. The boss believes the midfield prospect “understands” what is needed to succeed in the English top-flight.
In Ligue 1, Rodgers says the rhythm of game isn’t the same, which contributed to the struggles. Furthermore, the ex-Swansea City gaffer claims the athlete has the physical qualities to become “a really top player at this level.”
Rodgers confirmed two injury concerns:
— BBC Sport Leicester (@BBCRLSport) October 6, 2022
“Ndidi came out from international duty with a minor hamstring strain. At half time against Forest he felt it was a bit sore again. He’s probably going to miss a few weeks. Mendy has an issue with his knee so may struggle for the weekend.”
The player, or players, Soumare will be replacing and potentially ahead of for a few weeks, are of course Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys ‘Papy’ Mendy. Ndidi sustained a minor hamstring strain, revealed Rodgers. The Northern Irishman added that the Nigeria international may be unavailable for up to three weeks. Some believe Soumare is now pushing to generally replace the latter due to Ndidi not quite performing to his usual standard.
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This absence is obviously a blow for the east Midlands side as they look to build on their first win of the season. Mendy, meanwhile, should not be out of contention for as long as his Leicester teammate. The Senegal National Team representative could return for the Crystal Palace fixture on Saturday, October 15.